Heads Up, Travelers: Philippine Airspace "Shutdown" on May 17 Shortened to Two Hours

(SPOT.ph) Heads up, travelers: The scheduled airspace "shutdown" happening on May 17 has been shortened to two hours from the originally planned six hours to minimize disruption to airport operations, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said Friday.

The maintenance activity for the air traffic management center—aimed at improving the system so as to avoid another disruption like what happened last January 1—will happen from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. instead of the previously announced 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.

"CAAP assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety and efficiency of air travel during the maintenance activity. We apologize for any inconvenience that this schedule change may cause, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to maintain the recommended standards of air traffic management in the country," it said in a statement.

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What's going to happen during the Philippine airspace "shutdown"?

The entire Philippine airspace will be shut down during the scheduled maintenance, said Manila International Airport Authority Senior Assistant General Manager Bryan Co in a May 2 press briefing.

This means there will be no inbound or outbound flights in any CAAP-operated airports like Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Clark International Airport (CRK), and Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

The Philippine Airlines earlier told its passengers to check their emails and phones for possible changes in their flights, which may include rebooking or delaying their trips.

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